


Hey, Friend

by Beewachan



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: "Valley boy", Alternate Universe - College/University, First Meetings, Library, M/M, Set in California, vandalism but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-10-31 11:49:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10898766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beewachan/pseuds/Beewachan
Summary: writing/drawing on a table + terushima yuuji + osmosis bring bokuaka together





	Hey, Friend

  
Ah, the smell of crisp books. Keiji let a smile slip onto his face as he took his first steps into the university library. Keiji never smiled. This, this was a rare and beautiful occasion, however. It was his first day on campus as an actual student! His first time in this library since that campus tour he took in junior year! He could scream, but he didn't because he was in a library and what not.

It was the exhibits on the ground floor, the floor of the cinematic arts, that made Keiji fall in love with this school. It was so hard not to scream as he walked by that beautiful glass display for the third time in his life.

Happily skipping around and through each floor of the library, he came to a relatively empty area with wooden tables and blue padded chairs. Deciding that he needed a break from over-ecstatically walking around campus, Keiji pulled out one of the chairs and took a seat.

 _Hey, friend_.

The words were almost illegibly scribbled into the light-colored wood of the table in front of him. Keiji looked around to make sure there were no cameras in the room before pulling a pencil out of his bag and writing back, neatly.

_This is totally vandalism of the university’s property, but hey, buddy._

Quickly, he put his pencil away and headed out of the library and back to his dorm to finish unpacking.

 

 

____________

 

 

 

A week later, Keiji returned to the very same table, with the blue chairs and whatnot. Upon sitting down and getting his textbooks out of his bag, he noticed a couple sentences written under his “hey buddy.”

_I've waited 84 years for a reply! I almost forgot I wrote here! P.S. You talk like a valley girl!_

Keiji wasn't sure what to think about that comment, but he erased their hellos and wrote under the stranger’s new message.

_It’s because I used “totally,” isn't it? I am neither from The Valley nor am I a girl._

He buried his face into his textbooks, but not even an hour later, Keiji found himself trying to analyze the stranger’s large, slanted, messy handwriting.

He or she or they or whatever the stranger identified as definitely liked memes based on the 84 years thing, Keiji thought, and it was probably a he given how messy the handwriting was.

Keiji whipped out his phone to take a picture and send it to his new roommate for further analysis.

 

 

 

__________

 

 

 

 

“It’s definitely a dude,” Yuuji said.

Those were the first words that greeted Keiji as he walked into their shared dorm room.

“Well, hello, it’s nice to see you, too,” Keiji replied.

Yuuji grinned at Keiji and let the latter put down his stuff before pulling him towards one of the beds where they sat and examined the photo from Yuuji’s phone.

“You think he's hot?” Yuuji asked.

“How should I know?” Keiji shrugged.

“I don't know, like, a gut feeling or something!” Yuuji shoved the picture towards Keiji’s face for added emphasis.

Leaning backwards away from Yuuji’s phone, Keiji sighed, “I hope he's hot.”

“That's more like it, roommate-chan!”

“Don't call me ‘chan.’ You sound like a weeaboo,” Keiji rolled his eyes.

“That was the aim, my friend,” Yuuji smiled at him.

 

 

 

___________

 

 

 

 

Koutarou walked back into the library to see another thing written on that wooden table.

  
_It’s because I used “totally,” isn't it? I am neither from The Valley, nor am I a girl._

With a big grin, Koutarou picked up his pencil and replied.

_Yeah, totally b/c you used “totally.” I'm not a girl, but I am from The Valley. :) You took so long to reply! I thought you wouldn't come back!_

 

 

 

___________

 

 

 

  
Keiji returned to the library, telling himself it was to study or write, but really, he wanted to check that table for more chicken-scratched notes.

And guess what. There was another one!

He erased their previous messages except the last one written by this Valley boy. Is that a thing?

I _f six days is so long, then I'd like to know what 84 years is to you._

 

 

 

__________

 

 

 

  
Koutarou came back to his favorite spot in the library to study, yet again, as he did virtually every single day.

He was surprised to find that the non-valley, non-girl person whom he'd been talking to — or writing to, rather — had already neatly scribed a reply.

_If six days is so long, then I'd like to know what 84 years is to you._

  
This was some seriously neat handwriting for a guy, not that guys can't have neat handwriting, because they totally can.

The letters were tall yet small, and kind of cute, Koutarou thought, but he remembered that he thought almost everything was cute. He smiled while looking at the writing and took a snap of it with the caption, “i made a library friend,” to post on his story.

He would have sent it only to his friends, but he was curious as to if this library friend had him added on social media, so he would wait. For now, though, he would write back a reply in his gorgeous chicken scratch.

_84 years happens to be a slightly under 365 days. What year are you in, by the way?_

The words looked kind of lonely on the table, so Koutarou gave them a friend. He drew a simplistic owl, admired his work, then buried his head in a book.

 

 

 

__________

 

 

 

 

_I’m a freshman, and you? Nice owl, by the way._

Keiji wrote back. He decided that he would come here daily; he could study and talk to his new ‘friend,’ the friend whose name he still didn't know. Anyway, daily visits to the library were a win win.

 

 

 

__________

 

 

 

 

Reading the new sentence on the table, Koutarou murmured to himself, “Aww, so cute and young.”

He erased their previous sentences but left the owl in graphite on the light wood.

_I'm a sophomore! And thanks!!! You should draw one too!_

Finding that the exclamations alone couldn't reflect his happiness, Koutarou sketched a smiley face, dimples and all, next to the owl.

 

 

 

__________

 

 

 

 

No one except Koutarou’s best friend had replied to his post of the table from before, so he assumed that he was communicating with a total stranger, and he was right.

There was an adorable cartoon owl drawn next to his when Koutarou had next returned to the library. Alongside the sketch, it said,

_Here's an owl for you. What's your name? Mine is Keiji._

He decided not to take another picture of the new owl in favor of replying to the words written next to it.

_Keiji! Call me Kou! Where are you from?_

 

 

 

_________

 

 

 

  
_I’m from Japan, but I've had residency here since I was eight. What are you studying, Kou?_

 

 

 

  
__________

 

 

 

  
With a sly smile, Koutarou wrote back.

_Your mom. Just kidding! I'm a communications and journalism major. What about you, Kei-Kei?_

Koutarou put down his pencil, and opened his laptop to start one of his assignments, but he was interrupted when a tall, dark-haired young man with piercing blue eyes politely asked, “Do you mind if I sit here?” and gestured to the seat directly beside Koutarou.

Koutarou jumped in his seat at first, alarmed that anyone was in the room in the first place, and there were so many empty tables that the guy could sit at. It didn't make sense that he wanted to sit next to Koutarou. Maybe Koutarou was just that awesome.

Koutarou was about to say something without thinking, like, ‘There are literally at least thirty empty seats in here,’ but he stopped himself when he got a look into the dark-haired guy’s beautiful, oceanic eyes.

Instead, he said something else stupid without thinking, like, “Please, it would be an honor,” and he pulled out the padded little blue chair.

“Thanks.”

Keiji eyed the pencil-drawn owls and smiles and words that were half covered by one of Koutarou’s books. Koutarou didn't seem to notice, or he was trying not to notice because staring at a stranger with pretty eyes and a nice jawline was considered creepy, for whatever reason.

Similarly, Keiji didn't want to seem creepy or weird although he probably already did given that he asked to sit next to Koutarou in a completely empty room. Keiji decided not to write on the table in the presence of a stranger. He opened the book that he had been carrying with him and read it while oddly enjoying the warmth emitted from the young man next to him.

That ended when Koutarou left with a goodbye that was awkward, at best.

 

 

  
__________

 

 

 

Koutarou returned to the library the next day, and what do you know? The guy with the pretty blue eyes, and the cute hair, and the fashionable clothing was back, sitting right where he was yesterday next to Koutarou.

Koutarou looked down at his own outfit, a pair of sweats and a hoodie. He scolded himself because, like, he should’ve known that the cute guy from yesterday would be coming again, and he should've worn something hotter. “Whatever, I just came to study, anyway,” Koutarou grumbled to himself, but a couple of student nearby in the library heard and gave him questioning looks.

Naturally, Koutarou ignored the looks, but if he was being completely honest, he kind of liked the attention — bad or good. He wanted attention from the hottie in the back of the room more, though, so he walked to his table — their table — and said, “Hi.”

“Hello,” the ‘hottie’ replied, not looking up from his book.

It wasn't what Koutarou was hoping for, but a ‘hello’ would do. Koutarou took a seat, and he saw there was a new sentence written on the table.

_I’m major in cinematic arts, film and television production, and I minor in screenwriting._

Because writing on desks in the presence of a crowd wasn't exactly Koutarou’s cup of tea, he waited until his next visit to reply, and he made sure to go at ass o’clock in the morning.

 

 

  
__________

 

 

 

Koutarou was pleased to find that nobody else was in the library except of course the librarian and a few students who really, really looked like they needed some sleep.

As soon as Koutarou arrived at his self-proclaimed table, he wrote back,

_Really? I always kind of thought the SCA was cool! My friend, Yuuji, majors in the same thing as you. Maybe you know each other because you're both freshmen?_

Not too long afterwards, maybe when the clock struck seven, a familiar face came up the stairs, waltzed towards Koutarou, and sat down beside him.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Koutarou replied.

Keiji’s eyes looked down at the scribbled on wood, and Koutarou’s eyes followed them.

“Fuck,” Koutarou whispered. He had forgotten to cover the writing with one of his textbooks.

“Is something the matter?” Keiji’s widened eyes looked into Koutarou’s.

“Uh, no, I, um, I have Tourette's.”

“That's kind of offensive to people who actually have it,” Keiji said quietly, looking back down at the table.

“How do you know that I don't have to compulsorily say vulgar things every now and then?” Koutarou frowned.

“Well, maybe because I've been sitting next to you for a couple of days, and you've never done it before,” Keiji’s voice was calm, and his eyes were still trained on the graphite letters.

“Oh, right. I forgot about that. My bad,” Koutarou shrugged, and looked where Keiji was looking, once again. “I wonder why people feel the need to vandalize school property,” Koutarou asked, trying his best to sound offended.

“Yeah, I don't get it either,” Keiji, too, tried to sound disinterested yet somewhat appalled.

“Do you think anyone else, like, sits here, or whatever?” Koutarou asked.

Keiji furrowed his eyebrows. The question had been on his mind as well. “I haven't seen anyone else. Why?”

“Just curious. You know, about who writes on the tables,” Koutarou shrugged.

“I'm curious as well,” Keiji continued to study the handwriting, as if he hadn't already. He wondered if handwriting had anything to do with personality; maybe he could link it with the personality of the guy next to him.

“Whoever writes on the desk is, like, a really good artist. Don’t you think?” Koutarou asked.

“Yeah.”

Koutarou turned to look away from Keiji with a satisfied smile. _He thinks I'm a good artist_ , he thought. Koutarou’s grin grew even more smug.

 

 

 

____________

 

 

 

“Yuuji, did you get the picture I sent you?” Keiji asked.

“Yeah, man,” he winked. “Give me a name.”

“Kou,” Keiji said, setting his books down and sitting beside Yuuji on the bed.

“Kou, kou, kou,” Yuuji let the name walk across his tongue. “He's a journalism major, right?”

“Yes.”

“Kou,” Yuuji repeated again, “Oh! Kou from journalism! We had journalism together for, like, two years!”

Keiji smiled so slight that Yuuji barely noticed. “Really?”

“Yes! And he's hot as fuck! I don't have any pics with him because I lost them all when I got a new phone, but tell me about that guy you've been sitting next to in the library, and I’ll tell you if it's him.”

“He said, ‘fuck,’ and when I asked him what was wrong, he pretended to have Tourette's.”

“That's totally something he would do. Describe him, though.”

“Muscular, big, golden eyes, tan, very strong jaw, strange hair with some black streaks, and bleached eyebrows.”

“That's him! Get it, Keiji,” Yuuji wiggled his eyebrows.

“What if it's not?”

“How many guys have bleached eyebrows?”

“I don't know.”

 

 

  
__________

 

 

 

Again, at the library, where everything that could happen would, Keiji encountered Koutarou, and now he knew his name was Kou; well, he hoped he was right in thinking his name was Kou, anyway.

Kou was on his phone, texting someone with a bored look on his face.

“You won't get that knowledge through osmosis, you know,” Keiji gestured to the two textbooks stacked in front of Koutarou.

An amused smile creeped onto Koutarou’s lips. “Are you sure?”

Keiji nodded, and he began to smile a little too.

“Damn, I was so positive that miraculous osmosis would give me all the knowledge I need. I guess I've never really been a science person, though.”

Keiji chuckled, and Koutarou thought he had just heard an angel singing.

“Hey, what’s your name?” Koutarou asked.

“Keiji, and you?”

“Koutarou.” Boom, baby. Yuuji was right.

“I write on library tables,” Keiji guiltily confessed.

“So do I. Guess we vandalized university property together.”

“Would that make us partners in crime?”

“Maybe it would,” Koutarou’s smile beamed.

“Your smile is so… radiant.”

“Thanks for noticing, and, uh, you can sit, if you want.” Koutarou pat the blue cushioned seat next to him. 

“Yeah.” Keiji sat down beside Koutarou rather awkwardly. “So, funny question,” Keiji said without any hint of amusement on his face, “are you gay?”

“When you look like that, I'll be anything you’d like.”

“What if I was into a role play scenario in which you were a horse and I continually fed you carrots?”

“Doesn't do it for me, but hey, whatever works for you, babe,” Koutarou winked.

“That doesn't quite do it for me either, but I appreciate your open mindedness.”

“Anytime,” Koutarou offered.

The two stayed quiet for a couple of minutes while Keiji tried to formulate a question. It was so hard to phrase asking someone out correctly, so he gave up and said the first thing on his mind. He figured Koutarou wouldn't care, anyway.

“Hey, would you like to try to practice osmosis at a coffee shop instead? Maybe a change of setting will make it more effective.”

“Yes, please. Let's go!” Koutarou got up, grabbed his books with one hand, and took Keiji’s wrist in his other hand.

“Great,” Keiji smiled faintly. “Off we go, then.”

Koutarou grinned, and slipped his hand down, so Keiji's palm rested against his. “Off we go, new partner in crime.”

 

 

 


End file.
